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MALTATODAY 9 June 2019

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15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 9 JUNE 2019 the years. "Let's face it, migration is nothing new for Malta. There is no denying that Malta has undergone massive social, cul- tural and economic changes over the past few decades. Migrants (or some migrants) are then blamed for 'our' loss of values – and this is gener- ally framed within a racist dis- course – and the growing eco- nomic disparities and financial insecurity from competition, low wages, and the rental mar- ket to name a few." Holding up the Maltese expe- rience to the rest of the world, Pisani says that such discus- sions on 'Maltese iden- tity' are framed in an ethno-nationalist discourse, osten- sibly ignoring the backdrop of neo-liberal glo- balisation and the way this affects peoples' lives. The dean of the University of Malta's faculty of social well- being, Andrew Azzo- pardi, takes the prob- lem further, right to the political class. "From a social per- spective, it is an in- dication of the em- bedded racism that has been building up due to the public discourse and the insensitive political dialectic by politicians and wannabe MEPs," he said, adding that Malta must urgently refine its anti-fascist culture. "We need to intercept fascist rhetoric and put politicians who cross the line into hate speech on their toes. Ulti- mately I believe in the language of persua- sion… language is a massive issue that needs to be addressed. We need to stop send- ing the wrong messages in the media," he said. But Azzopardi also proposes that academ- ics, activists and community lead- ers, together with politicians, have an impor- tant role to play in active integra- tion programmes as well as urban planning – a factor that also accounts for the state of communities that attract mi- grant workers seeking cheap rents, such as St Paul's Bay or Hamrun, and villages in close proximity to asylum reception centres, like Marsa and Birzebbugia. Claudio Grech – a politician who in the past has c o m p l a i n e d about the state of the Marsa asylum cen- tre – believes the solution lies primarily with the thought-leadership of the mainstream political parties. "We need to real- ise that this type of sentiment will drive us towards an in- sular mentality on which toxic agendas find fertile ground to flourish. Indeed I deem it to be a wake- up call for main- stream political parties to react with an adequate policy re- sponse," he told MaltaToday. "We should strive harder to encourage our children to embrace multi-culturalism and the notion of an interna- tional community thriving and shaping in Malta," Grech says, sound- ing far off from his party's bill- boards that c o m p l a i n e d of foreign la- bourers in- flating popu- lation figures. "There is no future for Malta if we ingrain an island mentality in our children's minds growing up in a world which is hyper-connect- ed." But he insists that ghettoisation in places like Mar- sa, St Paul's Bay and Birzebbugia should be avoided at all costs. "It is a far cry from integration. In fact, the Lowell phenomenon is particularly evident in these areas and in districts where resident mi- grants might have contributed to problems of law and order." Grech also says the exploita- tion of already indigent people creates a domino effect that dilutes wages of regular em- ployees and in turn, Maltese workers look upon these mi- grants as the villainous reason for their own misfortunes. "In a country scrambling to engage human resources, we should be embracing foreign workers seeking to work regu- larly and above-board. What should never be tolerated is irregular employment which dilutes wages of regular em- ployees and exposes these mi- grant workers to shoddy work practices," he said. dhudson@mediatoday.com.mt NEWS The natives make their mark: the Patriots make their first stand in Msida, left, by serving pork sandwiches to ultra-nationalist friends after a community of Muslim residents prayed out in the open in Msida in protest at the lack of religious facilities to them; below left, and right, the Patriots in Hamrun, with Henry Battistino (left, in white shirt) leading the demonstration, and in Qawra, where (bottom left), Stephen Florian, a former university lecturer sacked over transphobic comments, is confronted by anti-fascist demonstrators. Florian contested the European elections as an independent candidate "We need to intercept fascist rhetoric and put politicians who cross the line into hate speech on their toes" Academic Maria Pisani: "What's the appeal? Is it ideological? A protest vote reflecting disillusionment with mainstream parties? Disengagement from the political process and having a laugh?" Faculty dean and broadcaster Andrew Azzopardi: "I believe in the language of persuasion… language is a massive issue that needs to be addressed. We need to stop sending the wrong messages in the media" "Embedded racism that has been building up due to the public discourse and the insensitive political dialectic by politicians and wannabe MEPs" Lassane Cisse Souleymane, the Ivorian killed in a senseless drive-by shooting in Hal Far. Two young AFM soldiers have been charged with the murder

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